Getting Ready for Winter

[Rob Glasgow]

Not really. There's too much top-down weather ahead. But I finally took some time to work on the hardtop so it fits better. When I restored in 13 years ago, I used to weather stripping that came with the kit and it always sat too high, creating issues with the side curtains and left a large gap behind the door. The hardtop did not come with the car, so like many body parts, did took some work to get it to fit. But by removing the thick weather stripping and adding just enough in certain areas to close the gaps, it now fits much better and the side curtains seal as well as can be expected.
So I guess I'm ready for winter when it comes.
But for now, it all comes off and returned to storage. Just too beautiful of ride inside.

 

[gonzo]

Healey looks great both ways! Wonderful color combination. Install air con and enjoy year around top-up comfort - central coast can get toasty hot (Solvang, SLO Paso Robles etc.) :wink-new:

 

[Healey Nut]

Looks good . My 62 Tri-Carb rally recreation will be similar but OEW top with correct rally flip up air vent .
The white on your car is very white

 

[Rob Glasgow]

Healey Nut, I tossed and turned quite a bit over the decision to go white or blue for the top. In The end, I decided for the road less traveled and am happy with the decision. Although, white would certainly have been my choice if I had painted the car solid blue.

Gonzo, yep an AC unit would be a great addition. Before moving to the central coast, I lived in The Central Valley of California, and I used to drive home from work in 100 plus temperatures and always wished for an AC, but I just sweated it out. With all the insulation I put in during my restoration, even in the with the warm weather we have here it's not to bad.

 

[John Turney]

I installed AC in my BN4 with hardtop. It's not a job for the faint of heart, but it is doable.

 

[dougie]

Ready for winter or a wet day at the track......

 

[Lin]

Looks great, Rob! I like the blue.
Lin

 

[RAC68]

Hi Rob,

Boy, your Healey really looks great...good taste. I always liked the hardtop on the pre-BJ8 Healeys and was sorry that the BJ8 hardtop was not as available.

John,
A Healey with air conditioning was never a need for me but my wife would have loved it. I had my Healey shorts and sandals and was good to go anywhere.

I have a TR7 that had a piston-type air conditioning compressor that I eliminated. Not long after, I also eliminated the engine fan and now depend upon the 2 air conditioning fans mounted low in front of the radiator and on an upward angle (allowing direct unimpeded air flow when driving). I had considered mounting a set of these fans in the same manor in front of my Healey radiator and going back to my original anemic yellow fan for looks alone. Maybe one day.

Healey-Nut/Dougie,
How did you implement your front pop-up air vents on the front shroud. I appreciate that there is a cut-out under the shroud for that purpose but how did you seal and allow rain water to drain off? Are there plans for this vent?

All the enjoyment potential using your Healeys,
Ray(64BJ8P1)

 

[Healey Nut]

Im unsure about doing the air vent on the shroud . The car wont be driven in the rain but it will be nice to get some more ventilation air in the car as the hardtop will always be on .
I have one of the original pop up rally vents for the hard top that will get installed in the top and I may see about incorporating extra forced draft air vents into the scuttle area and footwells that would then exit through the roof vent .
I will never consider or add A/C to a Healey thats just not for me .

 

[Keoke]

I am just womdering how much these type air vents help wehen ambient temperature is 115 degrees ?

 

[Rob Glasgow]

Keoke, just turn up your house heater to 90 degrees and turn the fan on high and stand in front of the vent. That's just about as much cooling as you'd get. Hot air doesn't become much cooler when you increase the velocity. That being said, as a youth, we would roll the windows down in the car and ride in the back of the car and think the how much cooler it seemed. So maybe it appears to work.

 

[steveg]

When I was a kid, we used to "roll down the air conditioning"; we also had "power steering by Armstrong".

 

[Healey Nut]

I am just womdering how much these type air vents help wehen ambient temperature is 115 degrees ?

115 degree ambient the Healey will stay in the garage and I will take the Aston instead .

 

[steveg]

Keoke - How relevant is talking about driving a Healey on a 115 degree day?

More relevant is how the vent works on a normal warm or hot day. I'll bet the air is closer to ambient than the recycled engine air entering through the "cold air" vent. Lots of cars in the '40s used pop-up vents in front of the windshield.

 

[Rob Glasgow]

I always thought the opening vents on the side of the fenders were pretty cool looking. I had an old Chev truck that had them and IIRC Studebakers and maybe XK120's did too.

 

[Keoke]

Keoke - How relevant is talking about driving a Healey on a 115 degree day?

More relevant is how the vent works on a normal warm or hot

That's what I wuz talking bout a normal "warm or Hot day."

Here in the valley that is easy to come by Steve.

Healey nut U got it right.
​

 

[Rob Glasgow]

After I posted the comment about XK120's having side vents, I looked at several photos of those Jags and it seems they only put the vents on the driver's side. I guess the passenger was not worthy.

 

[Bob McElwee]

If it was like the Healey with the exhaust on that side it would help keep either the driver/passenger cooler depending on which side the steering wheel was on.

 

[healeyblue]

Jags have the vents on both sides. I have never seen one with just a vent on one side. I am restoring a 120 right now and have researched them a lot so I am sure they never put them just on one side. As for the hard top I agree that if going solid blue then a white top looks the best.

 

[steveg]